1976 Davis Cup

The 1976 Davis Cup was the 65th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 58 teams would enter the competition, 32 in the Europe Zone, 14 in the Americas Zone, and 12 in the Eastern Zone. This year's tournament saw all teams in the Americas Zone competing in one single bracket, with the previous North & Central America and South America sub-zones, and subsequently the Americas Inter-Zonal final, being eliminated. This brought the Americas Zone in line with the outline of the other zones, with the previous year's Americas sub-zone champions progressing to the new Americas main draw semifinals.

1976 Davis Cup
Details
Duration22 August 1975 – 19 December 1976
Edition65th
Teams53
Champion
Winning Nation Italy
← 1975
1977 →

Chile defeated South Africa in the Americas Zone final, Australia defeated New Zealand in the Eastern Zone final, and the Soviet Union and Italy were the winners of the two Europe Zones, defeating Hungary and Great Britain respectively.

In the Inter-Zonal Zone, Italy defeated Australia in their first semifinal, while in the second semifinal Chile was declared the winner by default after the Soviet Union, in opposition to the human rights violations of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, refused to travel to face the Chilean team on home soil.[1] In the final, held in the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile on 17–19 December, Italy defeated Chile to win their first title and become the seventh nation to win the Davis Cup.[2][3]

Americas Zone
Main article: 1976 Davis Cup Americas Zone

Preliminary Rounds
  First Round
26 September–9 November 1975		 Qualifying Round
17 October–21 December 1975
                 
  United States  
Tucson, AZ, United States (hard)
 bye  
    United States 5
    Venezuela 0
  Venezuela
 bye  
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
  Mexico 5  
Mexico City, Mexico (clay)
  Caribbean/West Indies 0  
    Mexico 3
Montreal, Canada (indoor carpet)
    Canada 2
  Canada 5
  Colombia 0  
  Brazil w/o  
Brasilia, Brazil (clay)
  Bolivia  
    Brazil 5
Lima, Peru
    Peru 0
  Peru 3
  Uruguay 2  
 bye  
Guayaquil, Ecuador (clay)
  Ecuador  
    Ecuador 0
    Argentina 5
 bye
  Argentina  

Main Draw
  Quarterfinals
19–28 December 1975		 Semifinals
5–7 March		 Final
26–28 April
                           
 
    South Africa  
   bye    
      South Africa w/o  
  Mexico City, Mexico (clay)     Mexico  
    United States 2
    Mexico 3     Santiago, Chile
      South Africa 2
  Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)       Chile 3
    Brazil 0  
    Argentina 5     Santiago, Chile (clay)
      Argentina 2
      Chile 3  
   bye
    Chile  

Final

Chile vs. South Africa


Chile
3		 Santiago, Chile [4]
26–28 April 1976
South Africa
2
1 2 3 4 5
1
Patricio Cornejo
Bernard Mitton		 4
6 		6
3		 5
7 		5
7 		   
2
Jaime Fillol
Raymond Moore		 7
5		 8
6		 6
3		      
3
Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol
Byron Bertram / Frew McMillan		 6
3		 10
8		 2
6 		4
6 		3
6 		 
4
Patricio Cornejo
Raymond Moore		 5
7 		6
2		 10
8		 7
5		    
5
Jaime Fillol
Bernard Mitton		 7
5		 6
3		 4
6 		6
2		    

Eastern Zone
Main article: 1976 Davis Cup Eastern Zone

Preliminary Rounds
  First Round
26–28 September 1975		 Qualifying Round
30 September–1 October 1975
                 
  Indonesia  
Jakarta, Indonesia
 bye  
    Indonesia 3
    South Korea 2
  South Korea
 bye  
  Sri Lanka  
Colombo, Sri Lanka (clay)
 bye  
    Sri Lanka 0
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Pakistan 4
  Malaysia 0
  Pakistan 5  
Amritsar, India
  India 5  
Tokyo, Japan
  Thailand 0  
    India 3
    Japan 2
 bye
  Japan  
 bye  
Taipei, Taiwan (hard)
  Philippines  
    Philippines 4
    Chinese Taipei 0
 bye
  Chinese Taipei  

Main Draw
  Quarterfinals
28 November–21 December 1975		 Semifinals
9–18 January		 Final
27 February–1 March
                           
 
    Australia  
   bye     Hobart, Australia (grass)
      Australia 5  
  Karachi, Pakistan     Indonesia 0  
    Indonesia 4
    Pakistan 1     Brisbane, Australia (grass)
      Australia 3
  Manila, Philippines       New Zealand 1
    India 4  
    Philippines 0     Auckland, New Zealand (grass)
      India 2
      New Zealand 3  
   bye
    New Zealand  

Final

Australia vs. New Zealand


Australia
3		 Milton Courts, Brisbane, Australia [5]
27 February–1 March 1976
Grass
New Zealand
1
1 2 3 4 5
1
Ross Case
Brian Fairlie		 6
3		 8
10 		1
6 		6
2		 4
6 		 
2
John Newcombe
Onny Parun		 8
6		 6
3		 7
5		      
3
John Newcombe / Tony Roche
Brian Fairlie / Onny Parun		 6
1		 3
6 		6
3		 7
5		    
4
John Newcombe
Brian Fairlie		 8
6		 5
7 		11
9		 6
3		    
5
Ross Case
Onny Parun		           not
played

Europe Zone
Main article: 1976 Davis Cup Europe Zone

Pre-Qualifying Round
  Pre-Qualifying Round
       
 
    Turkey
    Israel w/o

Preliminary Rounds
  First Round
26 September–4 October 1975		 Qualifying Round
1–4 January; 30 April–2 May
                 
Copenhagen, Denmark (indoor carpet)
  Finland 1  
Freiburg, West Germany (clay)
  Denmark 4  
    Denmark 0
    West Germany 5
 bye
  West Germany  
Monte Carlo, Monaco
  Monaco 4  
Tbilisi, Soviet Union
  Israel 1  
    Monaco 0
    Soviet Union 5
 bye
  Soviet Union  
Brussels, Belgium
  Belgium 4  
Brussels, Belgium
  Netherlands 1  
    Belgium 0
    Hungary 5
 bye
  Hungary  
  Ireland w/o  
Cairo, Egypt
  Rhodesia  
    Ireland 1
    Egypt 4
 bye
  Egypt  

Main Draw
  Quarterfinals
14–16 May		 Semifinals
23–25 July		 Final
13–15 August
                           
 
    Spain  
   bye     Donetsk, Soviet Union
      Spain 1  
  Bad Homburg, West Germany     Soviet Union 4  
    West Germany 1
    Soviet Union 4     Tbilisi, Soviet Union
      Soviet Union 4
  Budapest, Hungary       Hungary 1
    Hungary 5  
    Egypt 0     Budapest, Hungary (clay)
      Hungary 3
      Czechoslovakia 1  
   bye
    Czechoslovakia  

Final

Soviet Union vs. Hungary


Soviet Union
4		 Tbilisi, Soviet Union [6]
13–15 August 1976
Hungary
1
1 2 3 4 5
1
Alex Metreveli
János Benyik		 6
3		 7
5		 6
3		      
2
Teimuraz Kakulia
Balázs Taróczy		 3
6 		3
6 		4
6 		     
3
Teimuraz Kakulia / Alex Metreveli
Péter Szőke / Balázs Taróczy		 12
10		 6
0		 6
4		      
4
Alex Metreveli
Balázs Taróczy		 7
5		 6
1		 9
7		      
5
Teimuraz Kakulia
János Benyik		 6
4		 6
8 		3
6 		6
3		 6
1		  

Pre-Qualifying Rounds
  First Round
 Qualifying Round
22–24 August 1975
                 
  Iran  
 bye  
    Iran w/o
    Nigeria
  Nigeria w/o
  Algeria  
 bye  
Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg (clay)
  Luxembourg  
    Luxembourg 0
    Portugal 5
 bye
  Portugal  

Preliminary Rounds
  First Round
5 September–12 October 1975		 Qualifying Round
2 April–2 May
                 
Tehran, Iran
  Iran 2  
Zürich, Switzerland (clay)
   Switzerland 3  
     Switzerland 1
    Great Britain 4
 bye
  Great Britain  
Sofia, Bulgaria
  Bulgaria 1  
Vienna, Austria
  Austria 4  
    Austria 1
    Romania 4
 bye
  Romania  
  Italy  
Florence, Italy (clay)
 bye  
    Italy 5
Warsaw, Poland (clay)
    Poland 0
  Poland 5
  Norway 0  
 bye  
Zagreb, Yugoslavia
  Yugoslavia  
    Yugoslavia 5
Athens, Greece (clay)
    Greece 0
  Greece 4
  Portugal 1  

Main Draw
  Quarterfinals
20–23 May		 Semifinals
8–18 July		 Final
5–7 August
                           
 
    France  
   bye     Eastbourne, United Kingdom (grass)
      France 1  
  Eastbourne, United Kingdom (grass)     Great Britain 4  
    Great Britain 5
    Romania 0     Wimbledon, United Kingdom (grass)
      Great Britain 1
  Bologna, Italy (clay)       Italy 4
    Italy 5  
    Yugoslavia 0     Rome, Italy (clay)
      Italy 4
      Sweden 0  
   bye
    Sweden  

Final

Great Britain vs. Italy


Great Britain
1		 No. 1 Court, All England Club, Wimbledon, United Kingdom [7]
5–7 August 1976
Grass
Italy
4
1 2 3 4 5
1
Roger Taylor
Tonino Zugarelli		 1
6 		5
7 		6
3		 1
6 		   
2
John Lloyd
Adriano Panatta		 7
5		 3
6 		3
6 		6
2		 4
6 		 
3
David Lloyd / John Lloyd
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta		 6
8 		3
6 		6
3		 18
16		 6
2		  
4
Roger Taylor
Adriano Panatta		 6
3		 2
6 		4
6 		4
6 		   
5
John Lloyd
Tonino Zugarelli		 6
4		 8
6		 1
6 		1
6 		1
6 		 

Inter-Zonal Zone

Draw
  Semifinals
24–27 September		 Final
17–19 December
                 
  Rome, Italy (clay)
  EUR-B   Italy 3  
  EAS   Australia 2     Santiago, Chile (clay)
    EUR-A   Italy 4
    AME   Chile 1
  AME   Chile w/o
  EUR-A   Soviet Union  

Semifinals

Italy vs. Australia


Italy
3		 Foro Italico, Rome, Italy [8]
24–27 September 1976
Clay
Australia
2
1 2 3 4 5
1
Corrado Barazzutti
John Newcombe		 7
5		 6
1		 6
4		      
2
Adriano Panatta
John Alexander		 5
7 		3
6 		4
6 		     
3
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta
John Newcombe / Tony Roche		 6
3		 6
4		 6
3		      
4
Corrado Barazzutti
John Alexander		 2
6 		2
6 		7
5		 6
4		 2
6 		 
5
Adriano Panatta
John Newcombe		 5
7 		8
6		 6
4		 6
2		    

Chile vs. Soviet Union

The match was scratched and Chile advanced to the Final as the Soviet Union refused to travel to Chile for the match due to their opposition to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.[1][9] The Soviet team were subsequently banned from entering the 1977 and 1978 competitions.

Final

Chile vs. Italy


Chile
1		 Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile [3]
17–19 December 1976
Clay
Italy
4
1 2 3 4 5
1
Jaime Fillol
Corrado Barazzutti		 5
7 		6
4		 5
7 		1
6 		   
2
Patricio Cornejo
Adriano Panatta		 3
6 		1
6 		3
6 		     
3
Patricio Cornejo / Jaime Fillol
Paolo Bertolucci / Adriano Panatta		 6
3		 2
6 		7
9 		3
6 		   
4
Jaime Fillol
Adriano Panatta		 6
8 		4
6 		6
3		 8
10 		   
5
Belus Prajoux
Tonino Zugarelli		 6
4		 6
4		 6
2		      

References
  1. "Soviets barred from Davis Cup". The Daily Sentinel. United Press International. 8 November 1976. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  2. Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 495–496, 499. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  3. "Chile v Italy". daviscup.com.
  4. "Chile v South Africa". daviscup.com.
  5. "Australia v New Zealand". daviscup.com.
  6. "Soviet Union v Hungary". daviscup.com.
  7. "Great Britain v Italy". daviscup.com.
  8. "Italy v Australia". daviscup.com.
  9. "Chile v Soviet Union". daviscup.com.
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